Halal Food Scanner vs TagHalal
Choose TagHalal if you want the biggest product database, 21 languages and a madhab setting, and don’t mind ads. Choose Halal Food Scanner if you want to see why each ingredient gets its answer, an honest Uncertain when the label doesn’t settle it, and no ads. Both scan barcodes and can read the ingredient list.
We make Halal Food Scanner
So weigh this page accordingly. Every TagHalal fact here comes from its own Google Play and App Store pages, read on 2 November 2026. If something is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Side by side
| Halal Food Scanner | TagHalal | |
|---|---|---|
| Store numbers | Play 1K+ installs; few ratings yet | Play 1M+, 4.6 from 6.66K reviews; App Store (US) 4.7 from 8,976 ratings |
| How it decides | Finds each ingredient (from Open Food Facts or a photo) and looks it up in a reviewed table of 401 E-numbers and 169 named ingredients; AI only reads the label | Looks the barcode up in its own database ("1.5M+ products"), with product submissions from users |
| Product not found | Photograph the ingredients; the app reads and checks them | Ingredient scanner (OCR) reads additives and E-numbers |
| Shows why | Every flagged ingredient: what it is, where it can come from, what to look for | Product status and additive information |
| When unsure | Uncertain or Not checked, never shown as a pass | Halal, haram or mushbooh status |
| Settings | Halal standard for flavourings (major authorities or Strict) | Status per madhab |
| Languages | English, Arabic, French, German, Malay, Indonesian | 21 languages |
| Ads | None | Yes |
| Free use | Barcode scans unlimited; 30 free ingredients scans a week | The developer says 5 free scans a day |
| Paid | Optional, from €1.99 / $1.99 a month or €11.99 a year (unlimited ingredients scans) | Premium $4.99 a month or $44.99 a year (no ads, no limits) |
| Extras | Ask the manufacturer in one tap; free online checker and E-numbers list on the web | Water, weight and fasting tracker; seasonal produce |
Where TagHalal is better
- Size: a million-plus installs and thousands of ratings, so more products have already been scanned and checked.
- Languages: 21, against our 6.
- A madhab setting for the status of products.
- Extras such as a fasting and water tracker, if you want those in the same app.
Where Halal Food Scanner is better
- You see the reason for every flagged line, and the references behind it are public on this website: the E-numbers list and how we decide.
- It says Uncertain or Not checked when the label doesn’t settle it, instead of a pass.
- No ads, and barcode scans are never limited.
- When only the maker knows (a gelatine, a flavouring), the app writes to them for you.
Which should you install?
If most of what you buy is branded food that many people have scanned, and you want a quick status, TagHalal’s database is hard to beat. If you read labels because you want to know what is in a product, or you shop where products aren’t in any database, Halal Food Scanner tells you line by line. Many people keep both. Other options: best halal food scanner apps.
Common questions
Is Halal Food Scanner better than TagHalal?
For knowing why a product is flagged and for a no-ads app, yes. For the size of the product database and number of languages, TagHalal is ahead.
Is TagHalal free?
TagHalal is free with ads. Its developer says free use is 5 scans a day; Premium ($4.99 a month or $44.99 a year) removes ads and limits.
Is Halal Food Scanner free?
Yes. No ads, barcode scans are always free, and you get 30 free ingredients scans a week. An optional supporter plan from €1.99 a month gives unlimited ingredients scans.
Best-effort guidance compiled from sourced references — not a religious ruling and not a certification. Schools of thought differ, and manufacturers change formulations without notice. Please verify with the producer or your local authority when it matters. How we decide a verdict.